NAM seeks united stance on NPT<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): As developed and developing countries begin
\nconsidering the future of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
\n(NPT), ministers of the 111-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
\nwill attempt to find a common position on the issue when they
\nmeet in Bandung, West Java, next week.<\/p>\n
The chief executive assistant to NAM's chairman, Indonesia's
\nNana Sutresna, said yesterday that the issue would be one of the
\ncentral topics at the NAM ministerial meeting in Bandung between
\nApril 25 and April 27.<\/p>\n
He said that, while the NPT had prevented many countries from
\nprocuring nuclear weapons, there was nothing in it to encourage
\nthose countries which already had nuclear weapons to reduce their
\nnuclear arsenals.<\/p>\n
The Non-Aligned Movement was striving to redress that
\nimbalance, Nana said.<\/p>\n
However, he acknowledged that NAM would face considerable
\ndifficulties in pursuing its goal. \"It is true that we have not
\nbeen able to reach a consensus position,\" Nana said of NAM's past
\nefforts on the issue.<\/p>\n
The Bandung conference will be the last high-level meeting
\nIndonesia will host as NAM chairman before handing over the
\nreigns at the 11th NAM Summit in Cartagena to host Colombia.<\/p>\n
The meeting will be opened on Monday by President Soeharto.
\nThe date of the opening is the 40th Anniversary of the Asia-
\nAfrica Conference in Bandung.<\/p>\n
The 1955 Bandung conference brought together newly independent
\ncountries from the two continents for the first time. It formed
\nthe embryo of NAM, which was founded seven years later by
\ncountries wishing to remain neutral in the Cold War.<\/p>\n
United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali is
\nscheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the NAM meeting at
\nthe historic Gedung Merdeka, venue of the Asia-Africa Conference.<\/p>\n
Seventy-six member countries have confirmed their attendance
\nand 57 delegations will be lead by ministers. There will be four
\nobservers and 15 guest countries.<\/p>\n
\"If most countries do not have nuclear weapons, then those few
\nthat do must get rid of theirs,\" Nana said.<\/p>\n
Signatories to the treaty are currently in New York for a
\nmonth-long meeting which is to decide whether the NPT should be
\nextended indefinitely or not.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has stated that it is inclined against an indefinite
\nextension because it is unhappy about the reluctance of the
\ncountries who have nuclear weapons to reduce their arsenals.<\/p>\n
Another topic which will receive special attention at the
\nBandung meeting is the question of restructuring the permanent
\nmembership of the UN Security Council.<\/p>\n
Nana said that Indonesia, which has staked a claim to any
\nnewly created permanent seat at the council, already had support
\nfor its ambitions.<\/p>\n
He refused to give details, saying only that there were a few
\nsupporters who were \"quite important.\"<\/p>\n
Nana stressed that the coming NAM meeting would be very
\nimportant because it would provide an opportunity for member
\nstates to forge a common vision before the UN celebrates its
\ngolden anniversary in August. (mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nam-seeks-united-stance-on-npt-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}